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Good Kimchi

Good Kimchi is a family-run Grand Rapids brand making healthier, good-tasting kimchi with natural sweeteners and vibrant flavor from 100% processed Korean gochugaru.
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About this idea
Good Kimchi was born out of our family’s love for homemade kimchi. When store-bought options never matched our grandma’s flavor, freshness, or quality, we decided to make our own—and realized many families faced the same struggle. That’s why we started Good Kimchi: to share traditional, good-tasting kimchi made by hand with high-quality, natural ingredients, including 100% Korean gochugaru and sweeteners such as Korean pear juice, fresh apples, agave, and green plum extract—never refined sugar. Today, we’re stocked in 12 grocery stores across Grand Rapids, and people love finding kimchi that’s traditional, flavorful, healthier, and made with purpose.
Impact
Good Kimchi promotes healthier eating, cultural connection, and community growth. Packed with probiotics and antioxidants, our kimchi supports gut health and immunity. As a family-run business in Grand Rapids, we handcraft every batch with high-quality, carefully selected ingredients, holding the same standards for our community as we do for our own family. Beyond flavor, our kimchi introduces Korean tradition, supports local retailers, and celebrates cultural diversity in our community.
What I'll do with $5,000
With $5,000, we will strategically scale production and improve efficiency through key equipment investments. $3,000 will go toward a label applicator to replace our manual process, saving hours so we can focus on crafting kimchi and reaching more customers. Another $2,000 will be used for a handheld stick immersion blender to streamline ingredient prep while keeping our artisanal approach.
Quick Bio
A cousin duo, Tim Lee and Isabella Long, are the co-owners and co-founders of Good Kimchi. Tim is a recent graduate of the Secchia Culinary Institute, and Isabella is a high school senior.
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